California congressional election down to a two-way race after primary recount

The congressional race in California that was poised to be a three-way general election will now see a traditional two-way general election after a recount.

Democrats Evan Low and Joe Simitian previously tied for second place in the state’s primary for the 16th Congressional District, with each candidate securing 30,249 votes. But after the recount, Low came out on top with 30,261 votes, up just a handful from Simitian’s 30,256 votes, the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters announced Tuesday.

Low will advance to November’s general election for the seat currently held by Democratic Rep. Anna Eshoo, who is not seeking re-election.

The assembly member will face off against former mayor of San José Sam Liccardo, who placed first in the March primary.

In California, the top two candidates in the primary move on to the general election, but a tie in second place can allow for a three-way race.

The shake-up comes after a California voter requested a recount, drawing sharp criticism from Low, who in April called the move “a page right out of Trump’s political playbook using dirty tricks to attack democracy and subvert the will of the voters.”

The voter, Jonathan Padilla, was a former staffer for a previous Liccardo campaign, though both Padilla and the campaign denied they were in contact or coordinated ahead of the announcement of a recount.

In a Wednesday statement, Low expressed excitement at advancing to the general election and praised Simitian, who is a Santa Clara County supervisor.

“I want to express my gratitude to the dedicated staff of both Registrars of Voters for their meticulous efforts during this unique recount process, and to the dedicated leader who took this wild recount ride with me, Joe Simitian, whose decades of public service remain an inspiration to me,” Low said in a statement posted to X on Wednesday.

Simitian conceded on Wednesday, saying in a statement that he was “disappointed, but not sad.”

“The good news is the 16th congressional district’s long painful exercise counting the votes is over!” he wrote in a statement. “The not-so-good news: we have come up short. I lost, and I concede. I trust the process, and I accept the result.”

Simitian also congratulated Low and Liccardo and thanked his supporters.

The district is heavily Democratic, and both candidates who advanced to the general election are Democrats.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com